Rugby league, explained

Rugby league is a 13-a-side collision sport played mostly in the UK, Australia, France, New Zealand, and parts of the Pacific. Teams advance the ball by running, passing backwards, or kicking; they score tries (4 points), conversions (2), penalty goals (2), and drop goals (1). A team has six "tackles" — six attempts to advance the ball — before they have to hand possession over, usually by kicking on the last tackle.

The pace is the giveaway: rugby league has fewer stoppages than rugby union, no scrums for set-plays, and the same defensive line resets after every tackle, ten metres back. Most matches finish inside 90 minutes including stoppages. It's the closest a contact sport gets to feeling like end-to-end basketball.

Two halves, 40 minutes each. Stoppages are short — minor injuries are treated on the field, the clock keeps running for most of them. Half-time is 10–12 minutes.

The six-tackle rule. The team in possession gets six attempts to score or advance. After each tackle, the tackled player plays the ball with their foot to a teammate (the "play-the-ball"). The defending line has to retreat 10 metres before the next tackle.

The last tackle. Teams almost always kick on the sixth tackle — either deep downfield to pin opponents back, or with a high "bomb" their teammates can chase and contest. Running on the sixth tackle without scoring or kicking is rare and usually a mistake.

Tries. Scored by grounding the ball over the opponent's try-line. 4 points. The conversion (a kick at goal from a line in front of where the try was scored) is worth 2 more.

Penalties. A team awarded a penalty can opt to kick at goal (2 points), tap-and-go to attack quickly, or kick into touch and take a tap restart from where the ball went out. Drop goals (in open play) are worth 1 point and are usually used to win tight matches in the dying minutes.

Sin bins. Serious infringements get a 10-minute sin bin (the offending player leaves the field, team plays with 12). Very serious offences get a red card and the player is gone for the rest of the match.

Players wear shirt numbers tied to specific positions, not arbitrary squad numbers (the way they are in football/soccer). The starting 13 are 1–13; bench is 14–17.

• 1 — Fullback. Last line of defence, a key counter-attacker. Reads the play behind the defensive line.
• 2 & 5 — Wingers. Try-scorers on the touchline. Need pace and aerial ability for bombs.
• 3 & 4 — Centres. Outside backs who provide passes for wingers and tackle their opposite numbers.
• 6 — Stand-off / five-eighth. A creative half who runs the attack alongside the scrum-half.
• 7 — Scrum-half / halfback. The chief organiser. Usually the team's main kicker and goalkicker.
• 8 & 10 — Props. Big forwards who carry the ball into contact and tackle in the middle.
• 9 — Hooker. The dummy-half. Distributes from every play-the-ball, makes more tackles than anyone else.
• 11 & 12 — Second-rowers. Mobile forwards combining ball-carrying with edge defence.
• 13 — Lock / loose forward. The most mobile of the forwards; often a leader and ball-player.
• 14–17 — Bench / interchange. Usually three forwards plus a utility back.